What The Rain Brings Out
by Crimson Anna
Summary: Sometimes when it rains, people's true feelings come out ... especially when a sick baby is involved.


Hugging herself tightly, Beth shivered as she stood out under the stairwell. She watched the rain fall harder as she watched for signs of the car. "Beth!" the voice yelled above her. "Come back inside before you catch a cold!"

"Did she answer you?" she heard Hershel ask.

"No, she's ignoring me," Carol replied as the door closed.

Shaking her head, she looked up then back out in the rain. "Come on Rick, where are you?" she muttered to herself. The sounds of an engine hit her ears as she bolted to the fence. Yanking it open, she watched Daryl roll in followed by Rick. They pulled into the parking area and shut the engines off. "Did you find anything?" she asked as he opened the door.

"I think we found the right stuff," Rick spoke, pulling a bag out. "Let's get inside."

They headed up the stairs and into the prison, both men shaking the water from their hair and clothes. They walked into the common room as Carl came over, hugging Rick; Beth took the bag and walked over to a table. Sitting down, she began going through the contents hurriedly before pulling a bottle out. Removing the lid, she filled a dropper and sat it beside her. "Come here beautiful, we're about to make it all better." Taking Judith from Maggie, she held her close and slid the dropper between the baby's lips. "It's okay honey, it's going to make it all better."

Judith's hands waved, trying to knock the dropper loose as Beth spurt the liquid into the baby's mouth. Judith stared at her as tears ran down her cheeks as Beth refilled the dropper. She slid it back in the baby's mouth and spurt more liquid out. "She's not crying," Rick spoke, leaning over Beth's shoulder.

"The medicine hasn't hit yet, she's still getting the flavoring," Beth told him softly. She filled the dropper a third time and spurt it into Judith's mouth. "She should be getting it … right … about … now." As Beth put the dropper in the bottle, Judith let out a blood-curdling scream then started crying loud and hard. "It's okay baby, it's okay." Beth laid her against her shoulder, running her hand over her back as she rose with her. She began to walk, speaking softly to Judith as she went. She went to the far end, turned and came back. When she returned to the table, Judith's eyes were beginning to droop closed. "She's going to nappy land now." Lifting the blanket up, she wrapped it around Judith, swaddling her as she rocked her gently. "We'll let her sleep and give her more medicine in four hours. I'm going to put her down."

"Take her up to my cell, I'm going to sit with her," Rick told her.

"Okay," Beth nodded and began walking up the steps with her.

"Miracle worker that girl is," Michonne commented.

"That she is, so grown beyond her years too," Hershel sighed. "She is getting overly protective of Judith."

"Good, that's the way I want it to be," Rick mentioned as he picked the bag up. He headed up the stairs and paused in the doorway of his cell, watching Beth lay Judith down in the crib. "Want to stay with me for a little while and keep an eye on her?"

"Let me get you a towel and I will," Beth smiled and vanished. She returned in a few moments with a large dry towel and handed it to him. "Want me to take the bag?"

He handed it to her and took the towel, running it over his head and shirt. "I am soaked to the bone, that rain caught us off guard." Without thinking, he pulled his wet shirt off and began to dry his chest. He noticed Beth sitting on the bunk staring at him. "Sorry."

"Don't be, hand it to me and sit down." She held her hand out to him; he slid the towel behind to her and sat. He felt her run the towel over his back and shoulders before she used it to slowly dry his hair. "You're lucky it wasn't a cold rain for this time of year, you might have had hypothermia by the time you got back."

"Daryl said the same thing." He turned and took part of the towel from her; reaching up, he began to dry her hair with it. "You're a bit soaked too."

"No one seemed to want to keep an eye out for you two, and it ticked me off so I stayed under the steps till you got back."

"And how long were you out there?"

"Maybe thirty minutes after you left," she grinned sheepishly.

"Beth, we were gone for almost two hours."

"I know, but I didn't want to be inside. They were all too busy bemoaning and groaning how Judith might not make it, that's what started me getting mad. Michonne made an offhand comment about what to do if she did pass and I just … lost it. I began screaming at everyone, including my daddy, then I went outside and didn't come back in till you got back."

"You need to apologize."

"No I don't. They didn't have enough faith that you would find the medicine for her. Sorry, I am not that type of person … I am an optimist to a fault, but I believe in you and I know you would never let your daughter down if there was a breath left in your body."

Shaking his head, he slid an arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for your support."

"I have your back, you should know that by now." She stretched out on the bunk, placing her back against the wall. "Stretch out and get some rest, I can wake you if anything changes with her."

"Why not swap?"

"Because I've always wanted to sleep with my back to the wall and my arm around you," she spoke then stopped. "Okay good one Beth, open mouth insert foot to hip."

He chuckled as he stretched out on the bunk with her, his bare back to her as he pulled her arm around him. He took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on it as they laid there. "Think you can kick the blanket up?" Her foot caught the fold and yanked the blanket over them, covering them from the waist down. "Thanks." He wasn't sure if it was the release of stress about Judith or the warmth of Beth's body against his that was beginning to cause his eyes to droop closed. "Mind if I catch a nap?"

"I told you I would wake you if there was a change," Beth spoke softly, running her free hand through his hair slowly. "Close your eyes and rest."

"I think I will do that," he yawned as he began to doze off.

She leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I am in love with you, Rick Grimes," she whispered softly into his ear.

"I love you too Beth," he yawned before falling asleep.

Her heart skipped a beat for a moment as she settled in with her arm around him, their hands clasped together, as her free hands ran swirls in his hair. The warmth of his body against hers caused her to yawn as she laid her head on his shoulder, placing a kiss on his bare skin, as her own eyes began to drift shut.

She awoke some time later, feeling the warm body still pressed against her. Propping up on one arm, she noticed Hershel in the dim light rocking Judith slowly. "How is she?"

"Asleep; she just ate and had her medicine. Her fever is down three degrees already."

"That's good." She let out a soft yawn as she watched them. "I'll keep an eye on her tonight so he can sleep."

"No, you BOTH will sleep while I take care of her. He took a chance going out in this weather to find the medicine, and you … you had more faith than any of us, not just for her but in him. You made us all realize and remember what he's gotten us through." Leaning in, he lifted the blanket and wrapped Judith in it gently. "Go back to sleep."

"I'll head down to my cell," Beth mentioned softly.

"Did I say that?"

"No but …"

"Go back to sleep."

"Yes daddy." Lowering back down to the bunk, she laid her head back against Rick's shoulder as her eyes drifted shut.

Smiling, he quietly moved from the cell and carried Judith back downstairs. Opening his eyes, Rick watched the older man leave as he felt the warm arm still around him. Letting go of her hand, he rolled over on his other side and pulled her to him. Instinctively, she nestled her head between his chin and neck, letting out a small audible sigh as she did. Situating the blanket around them more, he listened as thunder rumbled in the distance as the rain began to come down harder. He wrapped his arms around her protectively, holding her close to him. Pressing his lips to her forehead, he laid in quiet thought for a long moment.

"I love you too Beth," he whispered softly into her ear before drifting back off to sleep.


End file.
